Ipswich icon Scott Nicholls insists the Tru7 Group Witches cannot underestimate the “wounded” Sheffield Tigers ahead of their Rowe Motor Oil Premiership showdown at Foxhall on Thursday night.
The Yorkshire side heads into the meeting without Speedway GP star Jack Holder, with fast-gating Danish racer Nicolai Klindt stepping in as a guest.
The Witches will hope to take full advantage of the Aussie’s absence as they bid to overturn a 52-38 loss in the clubs’ clash at Owlerton on May 7 and collect the aggregate bonus point.
But Ipswich must still overcome a side featuring 2012 Speedway GP world champion Chris Holder and all-action Aussie ace Josh Pickering.
With Richard Lawson returning from illness and skipper Danny King hoping to make his comeback after suffering rib injuries at King’s Lynn on July 2, Nicholls hopes the Witches can capitalise on Holder’s absence.
He said: “When a team comes in below full strength, you have to take advantage of it, and you should. But at the same time, never underestimate a wounded animal. Sometimes in these situations, other people can step up and take you by surprise. We certainly can’t take anything for granted.
“Having Danny and Richard back is huge. It isn’t just about the points; it’s a team and Danny is our captain.
“Our unbeaten home record is gone, so it will be nice to get that back on track and start a fresh one.”
Witches saw their unbeaten start to 2026 at Foxhall ended by Leicester last Thursday as they went down 48-42 in the absence of King and Lawson.
But Nicholls’ performance was a huge positive as he top-scored on 12 points alongside Polish star Tobiasz Musielak.
The seven-time British champion admits finding a bike defect in a Cab Direct Championship match at Oxford 24 hours earlier made all the difference.
He said: “I had a shocker at Oxford, and I changed bikes. I found something quite significantly wrong with the bike after the meeting, so that was handy.
“I was hoping I’d fixed it, and I was quietly confident that I had. I went into the Leicester meeting, feeling a little bit better about things. It’s always nice to get off to a race win, which always helps to set the tone. I felt pretty good, and I was just happy that the bike was working better.”
Nicholls hopes the Witches can secure a big win against the Tigers ahead of a huge fixture at Foxhall to end the month – their Premiership Knockout Cup Final, first leg showdown with Leicester on Monday, July 27.
He said: “It would be nice to go into the cup final with some positive energy and momentum from having a good home win.
“It would be awesome for us to win something. The team has changed quite a bit since 2025, and I think a lot of people forget that Ipswich are the defending champions. I wasn’t part of that, so it’s nice to see if we can put a trophy in the cabinet for the Witches this year.
“As far as the league goes, there is no point peaking at the start of the season. It is a case of making the play-offs and then kicking on from there.”
Witches fans can take advantage of a special Late Season Ticket offer, available until Thursday evening only, and covering all of their remaining five Rowe Motor Oil Premiership matches at Foxhall – not including the KO Cup Final or the play-offs.
With Late Season Tickets for adults priced at £95 and £85 for concessions aged 65 and over or students aged 21 and younger, fans can save £6 per meeting. Young Person Late Season Tickets, for fans aged 16-18, are also available at £55 – these also include entry to the KO Cup Final, meaning young fans effectively pay £9.17 per meeting for six matches. Kids aged 15 and under enter free at Foxhall.
Late Season Tickets are available online HERE – please bring printed or electronic proof of purchase to the VIP/Guest Entrance to collect your season ticket card. Alternatively, fans can purchase their Late Season Ticket with cash on race night – please bring the correct amount to the VIP/Guest Entrance.
Individual tickets for Thursday’s showdown with Sheffield are also available HERE, with cash accepted at turnstiles and card payments available at the entrance to the right.
For those unable to be at Foxhall, the Tigers meeting can also be enjoyed live on the British Speedway Network HERE.
STARTING LINE-UPS
IPSWICH TRU7 GROUP WITCHES: 1. Tom Brennan, 2. Danny King (captain) or Rider Replacement, 3. Richard Lawson, 4. Scott Nicholls, 5. Tobiasz Musielak, 6. Will Cairns (guest), 7. Jason Edwards.
SHEFFIELD TIGERS: 1. Nicolai Klindt (guest), 2. Anders Rowe, 3. Chris Holder, 4. Leon Flint, 5. Josh Pickering (captain), 6. Jye Etheridge, 7. Luke Killeen.